The Artifice Girl is exactly what I want from a science fiction film. It puts to shame a number of other attempts at representing AI. I hope I’m not overselling it or ascribing greater meaning or intelligence than it deserves. I honestly think this is a great film.

The Artifice Girl is about an advanced AI program designed to capture child predators. Over the course of three acts separated by time, we follow a philosophical and intellectual debate over the nature of AI, conscious thought, and free will.

This is not a thriller about capturing child predators or about an AI trying to take over the world. It’s a thoughtful, poignant play-like film that has something to say and is willing to take the time to say it. It’s the kind of sci-fi I’d only expect to get out of a heavy night of reading. A good sci-fi novel about these topics is not so rare… a good movie is.

The film is very small in scope and low in budget… taking place basically in two locations and utilizing four characters. It’s a back and forth dialog-rich verbal showdown between characters. It never sees the need to devolve into thriller or action territory (certainly something that would get more viewers, but something they chose not to do).

I guess I should say that act three doesn’t hit quite as hard as I’d hoped and the movie’s lack of scope and budget kept it from going further afield than I would have liked. But within its 90 minute structure, I was thoroughly engaged, enraptured by the acting and the ideas, especially for such a small film.

I’m probably overselling it with my rating, but this is exactly the kind of film I love but rarely get. It’s possible – even likely – that a lot of people will find it interesting but perhaps a little slow or overly talky. This might not be your jam but it is mine. I rather love this film.

Score: 95